The Colossus

Originally published in 1960, The Colossus was the only volume of Sylvia Plath’s poetry published during her lifetime. Showing a scholarly dedication to the craft, the poems in this collection are brimming with originality and the startling imagery that would later confirm her status as one of the most important poets of the twentieth century. ‘She steers clear of feminine charm, deliciousness, gentility, supersensitivity and the act of being poetess. She simply writes good poetry. And she does so with a seriousness that demands only that she be judged equally seriously . . . There is an admirable no-nonsense air about this; the language is bare but vivid and precise, with a concentration that implies a good deal of disturbance with proportionately little fuss.’ A. Alvarez, The Observer